diff --git a/src/NATS.Server/Routes/RouteConnection.cs b/src/NATS.Server/Routes/RouteConnection.cs
index c518867..e8e97ab 100644
--- a/src/NATS.Server/Routes/RouteConnection.cs
+++ b/src/NATS.Server/Routes/RouteConnection.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,36 @@ public sealed class RouteConnection(Socket socket) : IAsyncDisposable
     /// for a given account. See <see cref="RouteManager.ComputeRoutePoolIdx"/>.
     /// </summary>
     public int PoolIndex { get; set; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The pool size agreed upon during handshake negotiation with the remote peer.
+    /// Defaults to 0 (no pooling / pre-negotiation state). Set after handshake completes.
+    /// Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool.
+    /// </summary>
+    public int NegotiatedPoolSize { get; private set; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Negotiates the effective route pool size between local and remote peers.
+    /// Returns <c>Math.Min(localPoolSize, remotePoolSize)</c>, but returns 0 if
+    /// either side is 0 for backward compatibility with peers that do not support pooling.
+    /// Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static int NegotiatePoolSize(int localPoolSize, int remotePoolSize)
+    {
+        if (localPoolSize == 0 || remotePoolSize == 0)
+            return 0;
+
+        return Math.Min(localPoolSize, remotePoolSize);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Applies the result of pool size negotiation to this connection.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal void SetNegotiatedPoolSize(int negotiatedPoolSize)
+    {
+        NegotiatedPoolSize = negotiatedPoolSize;
+    }
+
     public Func<RemoteSubscription, Task>? RemoteSubscriptionReceived { get; set; }
     public Func<RouteMessage, Task>? RoutedMessageReceived { get; set; }
 
diff --git a/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/Routes/PoolSizeNegotiationTests.cs b/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/Routes/PoolSizeNegotiationTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f65daa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/Routes/PoolSizeNegotiationTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,210 @@
+// Reference: golang/nats-server/server/route.go — negotiateRoutePool (pooling handshake logic)
+// Tests for route pool size negotiation between local and remote peers.
+
+using System.Net;
+using System.Net.Sockets;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Abstractions;
+using NATS.Server.Configuration;
+using NATS.Server.Routes;
+
+namespace NATS.Server.Tests.Routes;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Tests for route pool size negotiation (Gap 13.3).
+/// Covers RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize static method,
+/// RouteConnection.NegotiatedPoolSize default, RouteManager.ConfiguredPoolSize,
+/// and RouteManager.GetEffectivePoolSize.
+/// Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool.
+/// </summary>
+public class PoolSizeNegotiationTests
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Creates a connected socket pair so RouteConnection can build its NetworkStream.
+    /// Returns the RouteConnection (owns the server-side socket) and the client-side
+    /// socket, which the caller must dispose to avoid resource leaks.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static (RouteConnection Route, Socket ClientSocket) CreateConnectedRoute()
+    {
+        var listener = new Socket(AddressFamily.InterNetwork, SocketType.Stream, ProtocolType.Tcp);
+        listener.Bind(new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Loopback, 0));
+        listener.Listen(1);
+        var port = ((IPEndPoint)listener.LocalEndPoint!).Port;
+
+        var client = new Socket(AddressFamily.InterNetwork, SocketType.Stream, ProtocolType.Tcp);
+        client.Connect(IPAddress.Loopback, port);
+        var server = listener.Accept();
+        listener.Dispose();
+
+        return (new RouteConnection(server), client);
+    }
+
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize static method
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatePoolSize_BothNonZero_ReturnsMin()
+    {
+        // Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool — min(local, remote)
+        var result = RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize(3, 5);
+        result.ShouldBe(3);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatePoolSize_Equal_ReturnsSame()
+    {
+        // Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool — equal sizes
+        var result = RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize(3, 3);
+        result.ShouldBe(3);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatePoolSize_LocalZero_ReturnsZero()
+    {
+        // Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool — backward compat:
+        // if either peer sends 0 (no pooling advertised), result is 0.
+        var result = RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize(0, 5);
+        result.ShouldBe(0);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatePoolSize_RemoteZero_ReturnsZero()
+    {
+        // Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool — backward compat:
+        // remote peer without pool support sends 0; result must be 0.
+        var result = RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize(3, 0);
+        result.ShouldBe(0);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatePoolSize_BothZero_ReturnsZero()
+    {
+        // Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool — both disabled
+        var result = RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize(0, 0);
+        result.ShouldBe(0);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatePoolSize_LocalLarger_ReturnsRemote()
+    {
+        // Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool — min(10, 3) = 3
+        var result = RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize(10, 3);
+        result.ShouldBe(3);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatePoolSize_RemoteLarger_ReturnsLocal()
+    {
+        // Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool — min(3, 10) = 3
+        var result = RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize(3, 10);
+        result.ShouldBe(3);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatePoolSize_OneIsOne_ReturnsOne()
+    {
+        // Go reference: server/route.go negotiateRoutePool — min(1, 5) = 1
+        var result = RouteConnection.NegotiatePoolSize(1, 5);
+        result.ShouldBe(1);
+    }
+
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // RouteConnection.NegotiatedPoolSize default value
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NegotiatedPoolSize_Default_IsZero()
+    {
+        // A newly created RouteConnection (not yet handshaked) must report
+        // NegotiatedPoolSize == 0 to signal that negotiation has not occurred.
+        // Go reference: server/route.go — pool size is 0 until negotiateRoutePool runs.
+        var (conn, clientSocket) = CreateConnectedRoute();
+        try
+        {
+            conn.NegotiatedPoolSize.ShouldBe(0);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            clientSocket.Dispose();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // RouteManager.ComputeRoutePoolIdx determinism (regression guard)
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ComputeRoutePoolIdx_Deterministic()
+    {
+        // The same account name must always map to the same pool index.
+        // Go reference: server/route.go computeRoutePoolIdx (FNV-1a 32-bit hash).
+        const int poolSize = 5;
+        const string account = "test-account";
+
+        var first = RouteManager.ComputeRoutePoolIdx(poolSize, account);
+        var second = RouteManager.ComputeRoutePoolIdx(poolSize, account);
+        var third = RouteManager.ComputeRoutePoolIdx(poolSize, account);
+
+        first.ShouldBe(second);
+        second.ShouldBe(third);
+        first.ShouldBeGreaterThanOrEqualTo(0);
+        first.ShouldBeLessThan(poolSize);
+    }
+
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // RouteManager.ConfiguredPoolSize and GetEffectivePoolSize
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    private static RouteManager MakeManager(int poolSize = 3)
+    {
+        var opts = new ClusterOptions
+        {
+            Host = "127.0.0.1",
+            Port = 0,
+            PoolSize = poolSize,
+        };
+        return new RouteManager(
+            opts,
+            new ServerStats(),
+            Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N"),
+            _ => { },
+            _ => { },
+            NullLogger<RouteManager>.Instance);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ConfiguredPoolSize_ReturnsOptionsPoolSize()
+    {
+        // RouteManager should expose the configured pool size from ClusterOptions.
+        // Go reference: server/route.go opts.Cluster.PoolSize default is 3.
+        var manager = MakeManager(poolSize: 5);
+        manager.ConfiguredPoolSize.ShouldBe(5);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ConfiguredPoolSize_DefaultThreeWhenOptionsIsZero()
+    {
+        // When ClusterOptions.PoolSize is 0 (not explicitly set), the effective
+        // configured pool size should fall back to 3 (Go's default).
+        // Go reference: server/route.go default pool size of 3.
+        var manager = MakeManager(poolSize: 0);
+        manager.ConfiguredPoolSize.ShouldBe(3);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void GetEffectivePoolSize_NullRemoteId_ReturnsConfigured()
+    {
+        // With no remote server ID, GetEffectivePoolSize returns the configured pool size.
+        var manager = MakeManager(poolSize: 4);
+        manager.GetEffectivePoolSize(null).ShouldBe(4);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void GetEffectivePoolSize_UnknownRemoteId_ReturnsConfigured()
+    {
+        // For a remote server ID that has no connected (and negotiated) route,
+        // GetEffectivePoolSize should return the configured pool size.
+        var manager = MakeManager(poolSize: 3);
+        manager.GetEffectivePoolSize("unknown-server-id").ShouldBe(3);
+    }
+}